Welcome to our Grant Database —a place for Calgary-based social entrepreneurs to find a list of grants available to them.
You can filter the table by eligibility, size, focus, and application deadline. Some of the entries in this table are existing grant databases funders with several grants available, and they are marked as such in the Notes column. Scroll sideways along the bottom of the table to ensure you don’t miss any details.
Individual grants in this list range from small ($100) to huge ($1m). Most are looking to fund a specific focus area—often agriculture, recreation, community, youth, the economy, or the arts—but there are some grants that are open to diverse local causes. Though a handful of these grants have an annual application deadline, many of them have rolling/multiple intakes—especially those offered by larger funders.
This table houses grants of all shapes and sizes, and finding your perfect fit will give your application the best chance of success.
This is meant to be a living, breathing resource. If you come across a dead link or out-of-date information, please notify us through the feedback tool. We would also love to hear about other relevant grants that you find in your search for funding.
Find your funding below
| Grant name | Status | Organization | Deadline | Amount | Info | Eligibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Facility Enhancement Program | Active | Government of Alberta | Small: Jan 15, May 15, Sept 15. Large: Oct 1. | Small: up to $125k (up to $10k not matched). Large: $125k-$1mill. Applicants must match or exceed the grant. | Financial assistance for community facilities (sports, recreation, culture, etc) | Registered organizations (community/non-profit) | |
| Community Organization Grants | Closed for 2019 | Burns Memorial Fund | May 1 (annual) | Up to $15k | Registered charities working with low-income children and youth (health, education, recreation). | Calgary registered charities | Closed for 2020 |
| Community Agriculture Grant | Active | Peavey Mart | May 31 | Up to $50k | Agricultural projects | Non-profit | |
| Community Spaces | Closed for 2019 | Co-op | March 1 | Up to $150k | Recreation, environmental conservation, urban agriculture | Charities, non-profits in BC, AB, Sask | |
| Community Fund Program | Closed for 2019 | Field Law | May | $1k-$30k | Local/community initiatives in Alberta and NWT | Individuals, groups, organizations | Link is to blog post |
| Take Action Grants | Active | Calgary Dollars | Rolling | Up to $2k | Grassroots social and environmental justice in Calgary. | Project is not-for-profit, locally oriented | |
| Council Strategic Initiative Fund Guidelines | Active | City of Calgary | Rolling | Up to $50k | For an event/event series. Innovation (start up/seed fund) | Non-profit (or with donation to a charity) | |
| Canadian Garden Grants | Closed for 2018 | Whole Kids Foundation | Oct 15 | $1500 or $2000 | Educational gardens/bee farms | School/non-profit | |
| Community and Regional Economic Support | Closed currently | Government of Alberta | Oct 31, May 31 | $10k (plus matching) | Improve local business/support SMEs, foundation for job creation | Municipalities, not-for-profits, first nations/metis settlements | |
| Social Innovation Fund | Inactive | SAIT | |||||
| Labour Market Partnership Grant program | Active | Government of Alberta | Rolling? | $75k-$250k | Supports workforce development and labour market adjustement strategies | Large employer (with two partners involved in project) | Not really social entrepreneurship |
| Artistic Internship Grants | Active | Rosza Foundation | Feb 1 (three cycles annually) | $15k ($3.2k contribution req.) | Support an artistic internship for 6mo. | Charities | |
| Action Learning Project Grants | Active | Rozsa Foundation | Rolling | $5,000 | Address a challenge within existing organization | Charities | |
| Artistic Internship Grants | Active | Rosza Foundation | Feb 1 (three cycles annually) | Up to $15k | Administrative/management/tools for future growth | Charities | |
| Experimentation Grants | Active | Rosza Foundation | Feb 1 (three cycles annually) | $5,000 | Supports low-risk experimentation | Charities | |
| Transformation Grants | Active | Rosza Foundation | Feb 1 (three cycles annually) | Variable | Expansion of an idea (after experimentation) | Charities | |
| Act Local Grants | Active | First Calgary | Reviewed Nov-Aug | $100-$4000 | Community initiatives | Non-profits, schools, social enterprises, cooperatives, etc. | |
| Stepping Stones Grants | Active | First Calgary | 1st of every month | $100-$600 | Small, creative projects | Individuals, neighbourhood groups, charitable organizations | |
| Community Grants | Active | First Calgary | Aug 1, 2019 | Up to $10,000 | Social impact for Calgarians to gain skills, knowledge, and confidence in their financial capability | Charitable organizations | |
| Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund | Active | City of Calgary | Rolling | Variable (only certain types of costs covered) | Innovative, create jobs/economic benefits for Calgary | Business (non-profit, for-profit) past early stages. | |
| Alberta Social Entrepreneurship Support System | Closed for 2019 | Trico Charitable Foundation | Rolling | Variable | Social entrepreneurship! (other, more detailed, characteristics listed on website) | Post-ideation, non-profit and CRA donee | |
| Alberta Innovates | Active | Alberta Innovates | Rolling | Variable | Focus areas: health innovation, bio sector, cross sectoral investments, clean energy | ||
| Community Initiatives Program - Project Based Grant | Active | Government of Alberta | Jan 15, May 15, Sept 15 | Up to $75k (matching) | Community initiatives, strengthen leadership and organizational capacity, public benefit. | Non profits (plus schools, settlements) with local community projects | |
| Community Initiatives Program - Operating Grant | Active | Government of Alberta | Jan 15, May 15, Sept 16 | Up to $75k (matching) | Community initiatives, strengthen leadership and organizational capacity, public benefit. | Non profits, settlements for ongoing projects addressing social issues | |
| Community Initiatives Program - International Developmental Grant | Active | Government of Alberta | Jan 15, May 15, Sept 17 | Up to $25k (matching) | Supplement donations from Albertans toward international humanitarian projects | Non profits | |
| Community Initiatives Program - Major Cultural and Sports Events Grant | Active | Government of Alberta | April 1, Oct 1 | Up to $250k | Sanctioned sports/cultural events | Schools, settlements, non profit organizations | |
| Calgary Lesbian and Gay Chinook Endowment Fund | Closed for 2018 | Calgary Chinook Fund | Sept 15 | Up to $16k | Information/education/resources/counselling to LGBT family friends allies | Registered charities | |
| Regional Innovation Ecosystems | Scope | Government of Canada | Rolling | Variable | Regional innovation ecosystem (priority sectors are clean tech, clean resources, life sciences, agriculture, manufacturing, digital tech) with focus on inclusiveness (women, youth, indigenous people) | Not for profit organizations that support businesses (e.g. schools, accelerators, social enterprises, municipality) | Questionable - for businesses that support social enterprises |
| Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change Group | Scope | Canadian Agricultural Partnership | Multiple intakes (May, Aug, Jan) | Variable | Research/delivery/data management for environmental practices that increase martket access | Research associations/rural municipalities/etc (not small businesses) | Pretty large scale |
| Accessible Technology Program Funding | Active | Government of Canada | June, Jan | Up to $4M | Improving access to digital economy for persons with disabilities, developing commercially available technology, affordable solutions, improved employaility of Canadians living with disabilities, developing a network of partners, promiting awareness | Demonstrate expertise and capabilities, completed by March 31. Canadian legal entity | Large scale |
| Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneurship Development | Active | Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada | Up to $100k for individuals, up to $250k for community owned businesses | Aboriginal entrepreneurs to grow Aboriginal business sector | Canadian aboriginal heritage (or majority owned Aboriginal business) | ||
| Grand Challenges Canada | Closed for 2019 | Grand Challenges Canada | Varies by project | Integrated innovation (social, business, science, tech) in low-medium income countries and Canada. Addresses their "big challenges" (e.g. currently safe access to abortion) | |||
| Status of Women Community Grant Program - Systemic Grant Stream | Closed for 2019 | Government of Alberta | Jan 14 2019 | Up to $100k | Systemic issues (women's leadership/economic security/preventing gender-based violence) | Registered charity or not-for-profit with established expertise | Many stipulations |
| Status of Women Community Grant Program - Seed Grant Stream | Closed for 2019 | Government of Alberta | Jan 14 2019 | Up to $10k | Systemic issues (women's leadership/economic security/preventing gender-based violence) | Registered charity or not-for-profit | Many stipulations |
| Future Launch | Active | RBC | Rolling/multiple intakes (depending on size) | Variable | Multifaceted solutions that prep youth for jobs of tomorrow (experience, skills, networks, mentoring). Esp Indigenous/Inuit/Metis, LGBT, diversity (geographically, culturally, linguistically), youth with disabilities | Charitable organizations | |
| Emerging Artists Project | Active | RBC | Rolling | Variable | Funding for organizations that support young artists of all genres | Charitable organizations | |
| Youth Mental Health | Active | RBC | Rolling | Variable | Navigation/Technology solutions for youth mental health | Charitable organization or CRA-qualified donee | |
| CIBC Corporate Responsibility | Active | CIBC | Rolling, reviewed between Feb and May | Variable | Cancer, disabilities, childreen in need | Registered charities/non-profits | |
| TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant | Active | TD | Jan 15, July 15 | Variable | Environmental (focus on education, green space programs) | Registered charities, educational institutions, municipalities, aboriginal groups | |
| TD Ready Challenge | Closed for 2018 | TD | July | $1m | Ready Commitment drivers of change: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities, Better Health | Charities, non-profits | |
| Young People in the Community | Active | Scotiabank | Rolling | Variable | Youth, education, economic development, health | Registered charities/non-profits | |
| Community Investment Funding | Active | Servus Credit Union | Rolling | Variable | Community, financial literacy | Non-profits | |
| Community Investment | Active | Cenovus | Rolling | Variable | Youth, families, safe communities | Registered charities | Website hard to navigate; fragmented |
| ATB Community Sponsorships | Active | ATB Financial | Rolling | Variable | Alberta-centric | ||
| Stollery Charitable Foundation | Active | Stollery Charitable Foundation | July 27, 2019 | Variable | Communities, health, social services, education | Registered charities | Kamloops, Edmonton |
| Human Rights Project Grants | Closed for 2018 | Alberta Human Rights Commission | Social exclusion/inequality/discrimination/racism | Registered non-profits/public institutions | |||
| Bursary/training programs | Active | The Muttart Foundation | Rolling | Variable | Funding for staff/volunteer training (cultural awareness, suicide prevention, etc) | Charities | Annoying website |
| First Nations Development Fund Grant Program | Active | Government of Alberta | May 1, August 1, Nov 1, Feb 1 | Social, economic, community development projects | First Nations Band Councils | Can't open PDFs in Chrome | |
| Community Impact Grants | Active | Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta | September | Variable | Community | Qualified donees (by Income Tax Act) | Not Calgary |
| CFSEA Grants & Funds | Scope | Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta | March 15th and September 15th annually | Up to $25k | human services, health, education, justice, environment, arts, culture, recreation, and community development. | Non-profits, research-based | Not Calgary |
| The Red Deer and District Community Foundation Grants | Scope | The Red Deer and District Community Foundation | October 1 and 15 | Variable | Community initatives | Non-profits | Not Calgary |
| Social Financing | Scope | Canadian Alternative Investment Foundation | Rolling | Variable | Building resilient Canadian Communities | Loans, not grants | |
| Jackman Foundation Grant | Scope | Jackman Foundation | September | Approx $2m | Registered charities only | Only one grant provided per year | |
| Research Grants | Scope | Digital Impact | June | Approx $20k-$100k | Helping donors and non-profits use digital data | Faculty/graduate students | US based |
| Sector Advancement Grants | Scope | Digital Impact | June | Approx $20k-$100k | Helping donors and non-profits use digital data | Non-profits | US based |
| UPS Foundation Grants | Scope | UPS Foundation | Ongoing | Varied | Safety, diversity & inclusion, environmental sustainability, volunteer programs, scholarships | ||
| Newman's Own Foundation | Scope | Newman's Own Foundation | Unspecified | Varied | Philanthropy, children in need, empowerment, and nutrition | Charities only | Mostly US |
| Skoll Awards | Scope | Skoll Foundation | August 25 | $1.25 million/year for 3 years | positioned to effect large-scale policy, behavior, and/or infrastructure/systems change and shows evidence of significant impact already achieved. | Social enterprises | Must be nominated by network |
| Other Initiatives Program | Active | Government of Alberta | Rolling | Variable | Community, economic | Non-profits |
Add a grant to our list
Do you know of a grant not listed here that you think social entrepreneurs will benefit from? Please let us know by filling out the information below: